It was about this time that the newspapers were full of the daringescape of a convict from San Quentin prison. He was a ferocious1 man. Hehad been ill-made in the making. He had not been born right, and he hadnot been helped any by the moulding he had received at the hands ofsociety. The hands of society are harsh, and this man was a striking sampleof its handiwork. He was a beast - a human beast, it is true, butnevertheless so terrible a beast that he can best be characterised as carnivorous.
In San Quentin prison he had proved incorrigible2. Punishment failed tobreak his spirit. He could die dumb-mad and fighting to the last, but hecould not live and be beaten. The more fiercely he fought, the moreharshly society handled him, and the only effect of harshness was to makehim fiercer. Straight-jackets, starvation, and beatings and clubbings werethe wrong treatment for Jim Hall; but it was the treatment he received. Itwas the treatment he had received from the time he was a little pulpy3 boyin a San Francisco slum - soft clay in the hands of society and ready to beformed into something.
It was during Jim Hall's third term in prison that he encountered aguard that was almost as great a beast as he. The guard treated himunfairly, lied about him to the warden4, lost his credits, persecuted5 him. Thedifference between them was that the guard carried a bunch of keys and arevolver. Jim Hall had only his naked hands and his teeth. But he sprangupon the guard one day and used his teeth on the other's throat just likeany jungle animal.
After this, Jim Hall went to live in the incorrigible cell. He lived therethree years. The cell was of iron, the floor, the walls, the roof. He neverleft this cell. He never saw the sky nor the sunshine. Day was a twilightand night was a black silence. He was in an iron tomb, buried alive. Hesaw no human face, spoke6 to no human thing. When his food was shovedin to him, he growled8 like a wild animal. He hated all things. For days andnights he bellowed9 his rage at the universe. For weeks and months henever made a sound, in the black silence eating his very soul. He was aman and a monstrosity, as fearful a thing of fear as ever gibbered in thevisions of a maddened brain.
And then, one night, he escaped. The warders said it was impossible,but nevertheless the cell was empty, and half in half out of it lay the bodyof a dead guard. Two other dead guards marked his trail through the prisonto the outer walls, and he had killed with his hands to avoid noise.
He was armed with the weapons of the slain10 guards - a live arsenal11 thatfled through the hills pursued by the organised might of society. A heavyprice of gold was upon his head. Avaricious12 farmers hunted him with shot-guns. His blood might pay off a mortgage or send a son to college. Public-spirited citizens took down their rifles and went out after him. A pack ofbloodhounds followed the way of his bleeding feet. And the sleuth-houndsof the law, the paid fighting animals of society, with telephone, andtelegraph, and special train, clung to his trail night and day.
Sometimes they came upon him, and men faced him like heroes, orstampeded through barbed-wire fences to the delight of thecommonwealth reading the account at the breakfast table. It was after suchencounters that the dead and wounded were carted back to the towns, andtheir places filled by men eager for the man-hunt.
And then Jim Hall disappeared. The bloodhounds vainly quested onthe lost trail. Inoffensive ranchers in remote valleys were held up byarmed men and compelled to identify themselves. While the remains13 ofJim Hall were discovered on a dozen mountain-sides by greedy claimantsfor blood-money.
In the meantime the newspapers were read at Sierra Vista14, not so muchwith interest as with anxiety. The women were afraid. Judge Scott pooh-poohed and laughed, but not with reason, for it was in his last days on thebench that Jim Hall had stood before him and received sentence. And inopen court-room, before all men, Jim Hall had proclaimed that the daywould come when he would wreak15 vengeance16 on the Judge that sentenced him.
For once, Jim Hall was right. He was innocent of the crime for whichhe was sentenced. It was a case, in the parlance17 of thieves and police, of"rail-roading." Jim Hall was being "rail-roaded" to prison for a crime hehad not committed. Because of the two prior convictions against him,Judge Scott imposed upon him a sentence of fifty years.
Judge Scott did not know all things, and he did not know that he wasparty to a police conspiracy18, that the evidence was hatched and perjured,that Jim Hall was guiltless of the crime charged. And Jim Hall, on theother hand, did not know that Judge Scott was merely ignorant. Jim Hallbelieved that the judge knew all about it and was hand in glove with thepolice in the perpetration of the monstrous20 injustice21. So it was, when thedoom of fifty years of living death was uttered by Judge Scott, that JimHall, hating all things in the society that misused22 him, rose up and raged inthe court-room until dragged down by half a dozen of his blue-coatedenemies. To him, Judge Scott was the keystone in the arch of injustice, andupon Judge Scott he emptied the vials of his wrath23 and hurled24 the threatsof his revenge yet to come. Then Jim Hall went to his living death . . . andescaped.
Of all this White Fang25 knew nothing. But between him and Alice, themaster's wife, there existed a secret. Each night, after Sierra Vista hadgone to bed, she rose and let in White Fang to sleep in the big hall. NowWhite Fang was not a house-dog, nor was he permitted to sleep in thehouse; so each morning, early, she slipped down and let him out before thefamily was awake.
On one such night, while all the house slept, White Fang awoke andlay very quietly. And very quietly he smelled the air and read the messageit bore of a strange god's presence. And to his ears came sounds of thestrange god's movements. White Fang burst into no furious outcry. It wasnot his way. The strange god walked softly, but more softly walked WhiteFang, for he had no clothes to rub against the flesh of his body. He followed silently. In the Wild he had hunted live meat that was infinitelytimid, and he knew the advantage of surprise.
The strange god paused at the foot of the great staircase and listened,and White Fang was as dead, so without movement was he as he watchedand waited. Up that staircase the way led to the love- master and to thelove-master's dearest possessions. White Fang bristled26, but waited. Thestrange god's foot lifted. He was beginning the ascent27.
Then it was that White Fang struck. He gave no warning, with no snarlanticipated his own action. Into the air he lifted his body in the spring thatlanded him on the strange god's back. White Fang clung with his fore-paws to the man's shoulders, at the same time burying his fangs29 into theback of the man's neck. He clung on for a moment, long enough to dragthe god over backward. Together they crashed to the floor. White Fangleaped clear, and, as the man struggled to rise, was in again with theslashing fangs.
Sierra Vista awoke in alarm. The noise from downstairs was as that ofa score of battling fiends. There were revolver shots. A man's voicescreamed once in horror and anguish30. There was a great snarling31 andgrowling, and over all arose a smashing and crashing of furniture and glass.
But almost as quickly as it had arisen, the commotion32 died away. Thestruggle had not lasted more than three minutes. The frightened householdclustered at the top of the stairway. From below, as from out an abyss ofblackness, came up a gurgling sound, as of air bubbling through water.
Sometimes this gurgle became sibilant, almost a whistle. But this, too,quickly died down and ceased. Then naught33 came up out of the blacknesssave a heavy panting of some creature struggling sorely for air.
Weedon Scott pressed a button, and the staircase and downstairs hallwere flooded with light. Then he and Judge Scott, revolvers in hand,cautiously descended34. There was no need for this caution. White Fang haddone his work. In the midst of the wreckage35 of overthrown36 and smashedfurniture, partly on his side, his face hidden by an arm, lay a man. WeedonScott bent37 over, removed the arm and turned the man's face upward. Agaping throat explained the manner of his death.
"Jim Hall," said Judge Scott, and father and son looked significantly at each other.
Then they turned to White Fang. He, too, was lying on his side. Hiseyes were closed, but the lids slightly lifted in an effort to look at them asthey bent over him, and the tail was perceptibly agitated38 in a vain effort towag. Weedon Scott patted him, and his throat rumbled39 an acknowledginggrowl. But it was a weak growl7 at best, and it quickly ceased. His eyelidsdrooped and went shut, and his whole body seemed to relax and flatten40 outupon the floor.
"He's all in, poor devil," muttered the master.
"We'll see about that," asserted the Judge, as he started for the telephone.
"Frankly, he has one chance in a thousand," announced the surgeon,after he had worked an hour and a half on White Fang.
Dawn was breaking through the windows and dimming the electriclights. With the exception of the children, the whole family was gatheredabout the surgeon to hear his verdict.
"One broken hind-leg," he went on. "Three broken ribs41, one at least ofwhich has pierced the lungs. He has lost nearly all the blood in his body.
There is a large likelihood of internal injuries. He must have been jumpedupon. To say nothing of three bullet holes clear through him. One chancein a thousand is really optimistic. He hasn't a chance in ten thousand.""But he mustn't lose any chance that might be of help to him," JudgeScott exclaimed. "Never mind expense. Put him under the X- ray -anything. Weedon, telegraph at once to San Francisco for Doctor Nichols.
No reflection on you, doctor, you understand; but he must have theadvantage of every chance."The surgeon smiled indulgently. "Of course I understand. He deservesall that can be done for him. He must be nursed as you would nurse ahuman being, a sick child. And don't forget what I told you abouttemperature. I'll be back at ten o'clock again."White Fang received the nursing. Judge Scott's suggestion of a trainednurse was indignantly clamoured down by the girls, who themselvesundertook the task. And White Fang won out on the one chance in tenthousand denied him by the surgeon.
The latter was not to be censured42 for his misjudgment. All his life hehad tended and operated on the soft humans of civilisation43, who livedsheltered lives and had descended out of many sheltered generations.
Compared with White Fang, they were frail44 and flabby, and clutched lifewithout any strength in their grip. White Fang had come straight from theWild, where the weak perish early and shelter is vouchsafed45 to none. Inneither his father nor his mother was there any weakness, nor in thegenerati ons before them. A constitution of iron and the vitality46 of the Wildwere White Fang's inheritance, and he clung to life, the whole of him andevery part of him, in spirit and in flesh, with the tenacity47 that of oldbelonged to all creatures.
Bound down a prisoner, denied even movement by the plaster castsand bandages, White Fang lingered out the weeks. He slept long hours anddreamed much, and through his mind passed an unending pageant48 ofNorthland visions. All the ghosts of the past arose and were with him.
Once again he lived in the lair49 with Kiche, crept trembling to the knees ofGrey Beaver50 to tender his allegiance, ran for his life before Lip-lip and allthe howling bedlam51 of the puppy-pack.
He ran again through the silence, hunting his living food through themonths of famine; and again he ran at the head of the team, the gut-whipsof Mit-sah and Grey Beaver snapping behind, their voices crying "Ra!
Raa!" when they came to a narrow passage and the team closed togetherlike a fan to go through. He lived again all his days with Beauty Smith andthe fights he had fought. At such times he whimpered and snarled52 in hissleep, and they that looked on said that his dreams were bad.
But there was one particular nightmare from which he suffered - theclanking, clanging monsters of electric cars that were to him colossalscreaming lynxes. He would lie in a screen of bushes, watching for asquirrel to venture far enough out on the ground from its tree-refuge. Then,when he sprang out upon it, it would transform itself into an electric car,menacing and terrible, towering over him like a mountain, screaming andclanging and spitting fire at him. It was the same when he challenged thehawk down out of the sky. Down out of the blue it would rush, as itdropped upon him changing itself into the ubiquitous electric car. Or again,he would be in the pen of Beauty Smith. Outside the pen, men would begathering, and he knew that a fight was on. He watched the door for hisantagonist to enter. The door would open, and thrust in upon him wouldcome the awful electric car. A thousand times this occurred, and each timethe terror it inspired was as vivid and great as ever.
Then came the day when the last bandage and the last plaster cast weretaken off. It was a gala day. All Sierra Vista was gathered around. Themaster rubbed his ears, and he crooned his love-growl. The master's wifecalled him the "Blessed Wolf," which name was taken up with acclaim53 andall the women called him the Blessed Wolf.
He tried to rise to his feet, and after several attempts fell down fromweakness. He had lain so long that his muscles had lost their cunning, andall the strength had gone out of them. He felt a little shame because of hisweakness, as though, forsooth, he were failing the gods in the service heowed them. Because of this he made heroic efforts to arise and at last hestood on his four legs, tottering54 and swaying back and forth55.
"The Blessed Wolf!" chorused the women.
Judge Scott surveyed them triumphantly56.
"Out of your own mouths be it," he said. "Just as I contended rightalong. No mere19 dog could have done what he did. He's a wolf.""A Blessed Wolf," amended57 the Judge's wife.
"Yes, Blessed Wolf," agreed the Judge. "And henceforth that shall bemy name for him.""He'll have to learn to walk again," said the surgeon; "so he might aswell start in right now. It won't hurt him. Take him outside."And outside he went, like a king, with all Sierra Vista about him andtending on him. He was very weak, and when he reached the lawn he laydown and rested for a while.
Then the procession started on, little spurts58 of strength coming intoWhite Fang's muscles as he used them and the blood began to surgethrough them. The stables were reached, and there in the doorway59, layCollie, a half-dozen pudgy puppies playing about her in the sun.
White Fang looked on with a wondering eye. Collie snarled warninglyat him, and he was careful to keep his distance. The master with his toehelped one sprawling60 puppy toward him. He bristled suspiciously, but themaster warned him that all was well. Collie, clasped in the arms of one ofthe women, watched him jealously and with a snarl28 warned him that allwas not well.
The puppy sprawled61 in front of him. He cocked his ears and watched itcuriously. Then their noses touched, and he felt the warm little tongue ofthe puppy on his jowl. White Fang's tongue went out, he knew not why,and he licked the puppy's face.
Hand-clapping and pleased cries from the gods greeted theperformance. He was surprised, and looked at them in a puzzled way.
Then his weakness asserted itself, and he lay down, his ears cocked, hishead on one side, as he watched the puppy. The other puppies camesprawling toward him, to Collie's great disgust; and he gravely permittedthem to clamber and tumble over him. At first, amid the applause of thegods, he betrayed a trifle of his old self-consciousness and awkwardness.
This passed away as the puppies' antics and mauling continued, and he laywith half-shut patient eyes, drowsing in the sun.
The End
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ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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incorrigible
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| adj.难以纠正的，屡教不改的 | |
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pulpy
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| 果肉状的，多汁的，柔软的； 烂糊； 稀烂 | |
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warden
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| n.监察员，监狱长，看守人，监护人 | |
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persecuted
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| （尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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bellowed
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| v.发出吼叫声，咆哮（尤指因痛苦）( bellow的过去式和过去分词 )；（愤怒地）说出（某事），大叫 | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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arsenal
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| n.兵工厂，军械库 | |
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avaricious
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| adj.贪婪的，贪心的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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vista
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| n.远景，深景，展望，回想 | |
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wreak
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| v.发泄；报复 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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parlance
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| n.说法；语调 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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misused
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| v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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fang
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| n.尖牙，犬牙 | |
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bristled
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| adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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snarling
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的现在分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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naught
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| n.无，零 [=nought] | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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overthrown
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| adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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rumbled
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| 发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋） | |
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flatten
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| v.把．．．弄平，使倒伏；使(漆等)失去光泽 | |
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ribs
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| n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹 | |
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censured
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| v.指责，非难，谴责( censure的过去式 ) | |
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civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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vouchsafed
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| v.给予，赐予( vouchsafe的过去式和过去分词 )；允诺 | |
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vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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tenacity
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| n.坚韧 | |
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pageant
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| n.壮观的游行；露天历史剧 | |
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lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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beaver
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| n.海狸，河狸 | |
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51
bedlam
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| n.混乱，骚乱；疯人院 | |
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52
snarled
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| v.（指狗）吠，嗥叫， （人）咆哮( snarl的过去式和过去分词 )；咆哮着说，厉声地说 | |
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acclaim
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| v.向…欢呼，公认；n.欢呼，喝彩，称赞 | |
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54
tottering
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| adj.蹒跚的，动摇的v.走得或动得不稳( totter的现在分词 )；踉跄；蹒跚；摇摇欲坠 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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triumphantly
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| ad.得意洋洋地；得胜地；成功地 | |
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Amended
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| adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词 | |
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spurts
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| 短暂而突然的活动或努力( spurt的名词复数 )； 突然奋起 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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sprawling
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| adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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sprawled
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| v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着） | |
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